


Prompts

by dotncsal



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, Multi, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 17:59:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4634859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotncsal/pseuds/dotncsal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little glimpses at different moments in Night Vale. Or, 'I take prompts and attempt to write something with them.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 8. "Where did you sleep?"

**Author's Note:**

> SO. These were all actually written quite a while ago, so don't expect them to be incredibly ultra good or anything like that, or incredibly ultra long. All of the prompts are taken from alloftheprompts.tumblr.com (which, btw, is an incredible resource for prompts!)  
> And now we move into chapter one, which features Carlos forgetting to take care of himself. Silly scientist.

“Where did you sleep?”

Carlos groaned, mumbling out a response that Earl couldn’t understand. The sous chef sighed gently, reaching down and scooping the man up into his arms, already beginning to carry him out of the car. 

“Tell me you didn’t sleep on the floor. Please say you didn’t.”

Another groan, and Carlos was burying his head into Earl’s shoulder.

“Gods, Carlos… What happened? What was it? Cecil was worried sick this morning when you didn’t come home, we both were, we thought… Well, I don’t know what we thought, but we were worried,” Earl said worriedly, though he kept his voice gentle for the scientist in his arms.

“My experiment,” the man murmured tiredly, barely even loud enough for Earl to hear. “My experiment was… had to watch it. Cultures…”

Earl sighed quietly, managing to open the door before putting Carlos in the passenger seat. “Carlos… How late did you stay up? Did you eat anything?” Carlos didn’t reply, only shaking his head at Earl’s second question. “Alright. Alright, we’re going to go home now. I’m gonna put you in bed, and text Cecil at the station to tell him that you’re okay, and then we’re gonna eat once you wake up. Alright?”

Carlos nodded softly, his eyes closing once more, already drifting back to sleep. Earl climbed into the driver’s seat after buckling his boyfriend’s seat belt, turning over the engine and starting the drive home. “And then, when we eat, we’re going to have a long, long talk about you taking care of yourself, Mr. Scientist. Somebody needs to take their own advice.”

Carlos grumbled something unintelligible, a moment of silence following it before he continued. “Mm,” he mumbled quietly. “Love you.”

Earl couldn’t help but smile at that, stopping at a red light before leaning over and kissing Carlos’s forehead. “I love you too.”


	2. 2. We used to be close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm. This one's a little funky still. Also, a little bit of angst, which I am never going to be able to perfect. But, hey, it's here anyways. Also, Cecil is a very dramatic little muffin.

“We used to be close.”

The words made Cecil stop on his way to the door, made him turn around and face his sister once more. “Yes, we did, before you went and married that asshole.”

Abby glared at Cecil. “He is not an asshole, Cecil. He’s a good man.”

“Jack was a good man too,” Cecil practically spat out, his voice cold and incredibly angry. “That’s what you called him. And then you married him, and suddenly he wasn’t so good anymore, Abby! You have to look out for yourself, look out for Janice!”

Abby gritted her teeth at the mention of her ex-husband, taking a few steps closer to Cecil. “Jack has nothing to do with this, Cecil, and Steve is a good man. I know he is. He takes care of me, he takes care of Jani--”

“Oh, he’s just so good, isn’t he?!” Cecil interrupted, rolling his eyes. “Abby, gods, why do you have to be so blind to everything?! Steve Carlsberg is not a good man! He can barely take care of his Corolla, he certainly can’t take care of you, can’t take care of Janice--”

“He can take care of his Corolla!”

“He hasn’t replaced the hubcaps in gods know how long, Abby!”

“That has nothing to do with this. His car has nothing to do with this,” Abby replied quickly, only growing angrier. “You have no reason to dislike Steve. He’s a good man. I love him, and so does Janice, and he loves us. You’re jealous. You think Steve is going to take Janice and I away from you. You’re afraid that he’s going to replace you, and that’s why you’re doing all this.”

“I’m not afraid of being replaced!” Cecil yelled, for what seemed like the millionth time that evening, though really it was only the first time he’d said it aloud. He’d been repeating it to himself ever since the wedding. He wasn’t going to be replaced. Steve wasn’t going to replace him. He wouldn’t allow it.

Abby softened a little, though her tone was still a little cold when she spoke. She could see what Cecil was really feeling. She’d been able to see through her brother’s lies since he was eight and he told her that her hamster had just opened the cage door on his own and ran away. “Cecil. Sit down, and calm down, and let’s talk about this.”

“No! No, I don’t want to talk about this, because there is nothing about this to talk about!” Cecil insisted, shaking his head. “Steve is-- Steve is terrible, and horrible, and just-- just awful, Abby, awful, and I can’t believe you just married him, like it was no big deal, but it is a big deal because he’s awful and…” He looked down, shaking his head and biting his lip as he tried to find the words. “He’s just awful!” 

Abby sighed, looking down and giving up. Cecil wasn’t going to calm down, not tonight. There was no point in trying. “If he’s so awful that you can’t bear to sit with him for one hour during our family dinner, then go. Leave. Eat dinner on your own.”

Cecil scoffed, not believing that Abby was serious for a moment. When he realized that he wasn’t joking, he rolled his eyes. “Fine. Fine. Just make me leave. Won’t make a difference, ‘cause you’re all just so much happier with Steve at family dinners instead of me, right?” Abby had only opened her mouth to reply when Cecil stomped over to the door, making his grand exit and slamming it shut behind him. She slumped down on the couch, not crying but simply holding her head in her hands. The kitchen door opened, Steve sliding out and slowly coming to sit next to Abby.

“Hey, hey… It’s alright, Abby,” he murmured quietly, taking her hand to try and soothe her. “It’s alright. I don’t mind that he doesn’t like me! It’ll be alright…”

Abby shook her head, looking up at her husband with tired eyes. “... Is dinner ready?” She asked, a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

Steve smiled softly and nodded, kissing her forehead lightly. “Mhm. I made cheeseburgers, because Janice wanted them, and mashed potatoes, and your favorite blueberry scones for dessert. I thought you might want something nice after you spoke to him about… About all this.”

Abby let out a quiet, almost weak laugh, smiling up at the man. “I love you. No matter what he thinks of you, I love you, alright?”

Steve grinned and kissed her forehead again. “I know, sweetie. I love you too.”


	3. 4. They don't pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alriiiight! So, this story I had to type up because it was in one of my old notebooks, and in doing so I kind of rewrote it a little teensy tiny bit. Oops. Sooo, if this one's a little teensy tiny bit better than the rest, that's why. Also, it's a little teensy tiny bit longer, because I love Earl, so naturally, I love to see him suffer. Poor baby.

The second Earl walked in the door, he sighed, locking the door behind him like he did every other night. It had been a bad day at work yet again. How many bad days at work had there been this month? This week, even? The only thing that had kept him going through his twelve hour shift was the thought of finally being able to crawl into bed with his two boyfriends, of being able to cuddle and hold them and be held and just relax. He was hungry, and his stomach was literally aching, but he was too exhausted after a full day of cooking meals for other people to go and make himself dinner, or even just heat up the leftovers from whatever Cecil and Carlos had thrown together.

He checked again to make sure that the front door was securely locked before he made his way to the bedroom, barely looking up even as he opened the door. He’d expected that Cecil and Carlos would be curled up together already, Carlos snoring in that somehow incredibly endearing way.

Instead, he found both of his boyfriends awake, sitting up in bed. Cecil was typing away on his computer, each keystroke loud enough to be heard, and Carlos was curled up next to him with his head on his shoulder, idly braiding a few stray strands of Cecil’s hair. They both looked up when Earl entered, a small smile flickering onto Cecil’s lips.

Earl bit his lip as he met their eyes, suddenly all too aware of the fatigue that must be showing in his expression. Earl didn’t want either of them to worry, and he was already starting to see that familiar look of concern in their eyes. He did his best to smile, to look like he actually had some amount of energy left in him.

It was silent for a few moments, Earl looking and Cecil and Carlos and Cecil and Carlos looking at Earl, before Earl finally cleared his throat, thinking that it was time he spoke up. 

“... What are you two doing up still?” he asked. Both of his boyfriends looked to each other, something which only made Earl worry about what they must be thinking even more. It was a moment or two later that Cecil sighed, looking back up at Earl.

“Why don’t you sit down, Early?” He offered, gently patting the bed next to him. Earl gave him a weak attempt at a smile as he shrugged off his chef’s uniform, changing into pajamas before he sat next to them. He couldn’t himself, nervously glancing up at his boyfriends and trying to see what this was all about. If he could, he would’ve used his Advanced Telepathy badge, but he tried his best to keep his special badges for emergencies only. 

It was Carlos who spoke next, though his eyes were set on the small braid he was still working on, not on Earl. “I’m worried about you,” he murmured softly, Earl’s face softening immediately. He reached out to place a hand on the scientist’s shoulder, trying to reassure him as he continued. “I mean, we’re all worried about you…”

Earl shook his head, averting Cecil’s gaze, which had fallen on him and seemed to have no intention of moving anytime soon. “I’m alright, honey. You know that. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Yes, we do have to worry about you, Early,” Cecil replied lightly. Earl looked over to him now, swallowing a little as he met his eyes. He knew Cecil was right, but… “We love you, and we’re a family. Of course we worry about you. We want you to be happy, and well, and alright, and it’s obvious that you have been none of those things lately.” While Carlos didn’t speak, he nodded in agreement, looking down still. 

Cecil reached out and gently held Earl’s hand, his fingers soothingly brushing over his knuckles every so often. “We’ve barely even seen you lately, honey. Earl, sweetheart, you’ve been working so much. When you’re home, we hardly talk, because you never have the energy to hold a conversation. You haven’t been eating the leftovers we’ve been leaving for you-- Carlos noticed that. It makes him scared, and it makes me worried, and…” He sighed. “... Won’t you tell us what’s wrong? Please?”

Earl hesitated. Everything that Cecil had listed was true. He knew that. He hadn’t realized just how bad it all sounded when it was laid out like that, though-- not until Cecil had described it. When he did understand the reality of the situation, he felt a small hint of guilt tugging at his heart. Not only was he barely talking to his boyfriends, but he was worrying them, even scaring them. He cursed himself silently for not noticing their concern sooner, trying desperately to get the sense of guilt to go away. 

“I’m sorry,” he began, his voice even quieter than Carlos’s had been. “I didn’t mean to worry you, Cec, or scare Carlos like that. I just… I’m alright, really. Just some bad days at work, is all.” There was something missing from his voice as he spoke, something making him sound far too drained and empty and unlike himself. There was life missing from his voice, and he could only pray to the Brownstone Spire that his boyfriends wouldn’t notice it. 

Cecil sighed, giving Earl’s hand a gentle squeeze before he replied. “Talk to us, honey,” he whispered. “Please. We want to help you feel better. We love you so much, Earl.”

Earl looked down again for just a second, then looked back up at his boyfriends. He wasn’t sure of what he should even say, where he should even begin. Carlos, who had finished Cecil’s little braid and was now looking up, seemed to sense this. He reached out and motioned for Earl to lie down between him and Cecil, something that usually helped the scientist when he was upset. Earl gave him a smile that was small but grateful as he curled up between the two men, placing a soft kiss on Carlos’s forehead as he laid down that made Carlos smile right back at him.

Earl took a deep breath before he began his explanation, looking up at the ceiling instead of at one of his boyfriends. “... I’ve just been exhausted lately,” he began almost tentatively, still a little nervous about talking about all of this. “I’ve had really long shifts, and I-- I don’t know. It’ll be fine. It’s just… complicated.” 

“We’ve got all night, Early,” Cecil reminded him. “We’ve got time. You can tell us. It’s okay.”

Earl nodded a little, closing his eyes now and leaning towards Cecil as his boyfriends wrapped their arms around him.. “... Most of the people at the restaurant... It’s…” He struggled to find the words, staying silent for a moment as he thought of how to phrase things before he continued. “... They barely tip. And I know, I don’t get paid off of tips, but the waiters and waitresses do, and they-- they treat everybody awfully. One of them screamed at this poor waitress the other day because she accidentally gave them ice water instead of ice water with lemon. And then there’s-- Gods, there’s these stupid people who come in, like, once a month, and order our most expensive items and then leave without paying. They don’t pay. It’s just… It’s so frustrating…!”

“Earl…” Carlos murmured softly, tugging the blankets up a little so that they covered them better. Earl sighed and rolled back onto his back, giving Carlos a tired, weary smile.

“It’s just frustrating,” he repeated, voice softer now. “And now I… I hardly even get to see my own son. I make him breakfast in the morning, and that’s about it. You guys take him to Scout meetings, and his play dates with Janice, and help him with his homework, and I-- I want to do that, too, but I can’t, because I’m always working.” He shook his head again.

“Oh, Early,” Cecil whispered, pressing a comforting kiss to the man’s cheek. “Shh, it’s alright, Early Bird. It’s alright, honey… I’m sorry things have been so hard, and I’m sorry we didn’t notice sooner. But it’s going to get better now, alright?”

Earl buried his head in Cecil’s chest, sighing. “Please don’t apologize. It’s not your fault, Cec..”

Carlos was holding him now as well, rubbing little circles on his back. “I think I understand,” he stated quietly. “I love my work, but it… It’s easy for me to get overwhelmed, when I put myself to work too hard. And when I’m overwhelmed, work isn’t fun, or good, or like it usually is. That’s… That’s why I’m lucky to have you and Cec. There are a lot of reasons why I’m lucky to have you two, but this is just one of them. You always help me calm down, and… you always help me feel better.” He hesitated, biting his lip. “Please, Earl, let Cecil and I do that for you now. Please…”

Earl hesitated for just a moment before he replied. “.... Only if you and Cecil don’t mind,” he said softly. “I don’t want to be a burden, or anything…”

“Never think of yourself as a burden, Early,” Cecil was quick to reply. “You’re never a burden. Not to us. We love you, and we want to help you feel better.” He gave Earl a loving smile, and then an equally loving kiss to his forehead. “Now, we’re all gonna go to bed together tonight, alright? Tomorrow, Earl, you’re going to call in sick, and we’re going to make a wonderful breakfast in bed for you, and then we’re going to call your boss and tell him that yes, we know, Earl Harlan is the best sous chef this town has ever seen, but he needs some time off to cuddle with his boyfriends and hang out with his son. Does that sound good?”

Earl smiled, even chuckling a little. “That sounds very good,” he agreed, looking up at Cecil and then to Carlos. “Thank you. Both of you. I love you so much.”

“We love you too,” Carlos replied, cuddling up next to the chef. 

“Very, very much,” Cecil added, kissing Earl’s head. “Now, goodnight, you cuties. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Carlos echoed, voice soft and content. 

“Goodnight,” Earl murmured, a smile on his lips even as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
